scrapkit studio blog

Chipboard Mini Albums: An Alternative to Project Life

Right now a lot of scrappers are making the "Project Life" albums for their 2013 scrapping. But if you'd like to try something different - something simpler and less intense -  try our 2013 mini album release. My alternative to Project Life is our 'My Everyday Life 2013' album kit. It's made for scrapping your photos as you take them throughout the year, using the bold, bright, beautiful Seen & Noted line by Pebbles.

You'll have the entire album completed in a few hours, ready to add your photos as you take them. That means you won't need to do any scrapping each month other than adding your photos! There's a section for each month of the year, with matching textured cardstock used for the monthly page dividers. I used acrylic page protectors to really simplify things, as well as a booklet of journaling prompts so that you can just tear out a prompt, record your thoughts, and slip  the card into the perfectly sized pockets!

There are 3 chipboard pages in this mini album, 12 cardstock monthly dividers/pages to hold photos and stickers, and 12 page protectors.

 

 

 

This album also has a paper pocket to hold extra photos and "stuff" that might be too large to fit into the page protectors. And with TWO sets of matching stickers and some washi tape stickers, you won't run out of embellishments until the last page! This Pebbles collection has such gorgeous colors: two  shades of blues, green, an orangey-red, yellow, and two greys; they'll wow you!

Be sure to stop by the studio shop to check out all the pages of this colorful kit. You just might find this chipboard mini album a great alternative to Project Life!

Chipboard Mini Albums - Scrapbooking Design Trends & Eye Candy!

Chipboard mini albums follow the design trends of general scrapbooking, because, well... they're mini scrapbooks. Yeah. So I was looking for some 2012 Summer CHA design trends to share with you, when I stumbled across some beautiful Pinterest pages & a cool blog.

Wow - such beautiful colors!! So, these aren't actually the "trends" pictures; they're just pretty "craft candy" for the day! These are actually photos of the Doodlebug Designs CHA Summer 2012 booth. Visit their blog for more pics here.

For more design trends - and craft candy! - click here & here to visit a Pinterest page and a cool blog about Summer CHA 2012 trends. I'm sure you'll find something to inspire your next chipboard mini album!

Chipboard Mini Albums - Current Scrapbooking Trend: Denim & Denim-Look

Chipboard Mini Albums and scrapbooking in general go through trends like fashions do! I've posted before about some of the trends we see out there in "scrappyland", but today I thought I'd just pick one and give you a visual feast of examples I've found around the web. Besides, what else is there to say about the current trend of using denim & denim-look papers, other than "there's a current trend of using denim & denim-look papers."

Yeah. OK, so having said that, let the feast begin!

Hope you got some inspiration from these for your next chipboard mini album!

Chipboard Mini Albums: Scrapbooking Trends 2012

In previous posts, I've talked about what's "in" right now in the world of scrapbooking. When I look back on the different items I listed, most were embellishment items or techniques.

Woodgrain papers, flags & banners, doilies, baker's twine, and washi tape - among others - are all things that can be found in stores at the moment.

Things like sewing on paper, clustering elements, and using lots of white space are each more like techniques that have caught on lately, but require no purchases. Well, by that I mean that you can't go out and buy some white space in a scrapbook store.

But, oddly enough, I failed to mention one of the main trends. More journaling. Capturing everyday moments. Photographing and scrapping what might have been considered mundane just a few years ago. Smash books. Junk journals. Themed mini albums. True scrapbooking!

It's what I call "true scrapbooking" because it's what the term started out as. Photo albums are books that contain photos and journaling, and even "decorations".  Scrapbooks contain bits and pieces of our lives that we want to preserve and hang onto. And while we take pictures and put them in albums so that we can preserve moments, items we scrap along with our photos are just as meaningful to us. That concert ticket  that got all wrinkled up in your back pocket. The movie ticket that your date handed you, and that you carefully placed in your wallet so you wouldn't lose it.

These are the things we used to scrapbook when we were younger. Today's  scrapbooking just adds more sophisticated embellishments to each page along with the photos. Now we're scrapping  our favorite foods, our kids' toys, and the picture of the waiting room you took with your cell phone while your car was in the shop.

So don't forget to photograph the everyday, ordinary moments and things that, when you look back one day, will cause you to say, "Wow! I'd have forgotten about that if I hadn't scrapped it!" You'll thank yourself one day for all those chipboard mini albums you made!

Chipboard Mini Albums: What's "In" Right Now? Part 3

Are you ready for 5 more "hot" trends in scrapbooking today?

My next five trends include:

Quilts & hexagons

I'm not sure what the pattern is called in quilting, but it's simply a small hexagon, and it's gaining popularity! Like a few of the other trends I've already mentioned, I'm not in love with this one, but it's definitely growing on me. Especially when I see fabulous layouts like this one, with hexagonal indented cutouts along with popped up ones. (Layout by the talented Megan Klauer here.)

Double-edged punches

Edge punches have been around a long time, but the double-edged punch is fairly new on the scene. These punches create a strip with both sides cut out like a pre-bought border strip. Only, you can make one any color you want! How great is that?! This Martha Stewart doily lace trim punch is my latest favorite. 

"Relief" titles, cutout titles

With the advent of electronic cutting tools, scrapbooking has really taken things up a notch. Lately I've been noticing a lot of cutout titling. This is where words are cut out, then discarded, and the portion remaining is used instead. And, as with the layout shown, when regular letters are mixed in as well, it just looks awesome! Notice the word "dance" is not a cutout. Another Amy Heller layout here.) Cute!

Sewing on paper

If you've got a sewing machine, then this is one trend you can incorporate into your projects. You can stitch down elements you would otherwise glue down, or zig zag stitch around the edges for a nice border. My fave is when titles are stitched through the center line horizontally, then the tops and bottoms are left unattached.

Clustering elements

Now here's one ANYONE can do! This particular "technique" (if it is a technique) probably sprang from the white space style. In order to have white space, there needs to be a lot of room left blank, right? And in order to leave space empty, it only makes sense to pile all of the embellishments together, as if you're dropping a handful of m&m's in one spot! But if you do it right, it turns out looking as great as these 2 examples from the same layout by Amy Heller (here.) Don't you just love how she's mixed buttons with acrylic brads and rhinestones?

If you haven't already read parts 1 & 2, you can do so here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

Chipboard Mini Albums: What's In Right Now, Part 2

Chipboard mini albums and scrapbooking in general have changed over the years. In my last post, I listed 5 current "hot" trends in scrapbooking today.

Let's explore 5 more here. 

White space

This is one technique or style that is difficult to recreate in the small chipboard mini albums that I make. When you've got 12x12" of real estate to work with, you are able to create different effects, like drama  or emphasis, by leaving part of the paper empty. And by offsetting your focal point as in the layout shown, you still have room to accomodate a photo as well as embellishments, all while retaining that empty space. Notice that "white space" doesn't have to be white! (Layout by the fabulous Amy Heller here.)

Baker's twine

I remember when baker's twine started creeping into cardmaking and scrapbooking. It always reminds me of the box of doughnuts my father brought home on Sunday mornings, all tied up with red and white baker's twine. My brother and I would race to be the one to untie it! Nowadays it's thicker, "fluffier", and definitely comes in more colors! My favorites are by The Twinery  and Doodlebug's Doodle Twine  , if you're looking for bright colors. As each individual paper company comes out with their own, it seems to get thicker and fluffier!

Decorative tapes, washi tape, tissue tape

This one is really growing on me lately. I find myself looking at it longingly, trying to figure out a way to package pieces in my chipboard album kits! I love the way it looks like pretty Scotch tape when used diagonally across corners as in the layout in yesterday's post on woodgrains. My understanding is that it started out as Japanese washi tape used for scrapbooking, and later came our own brands of decorative tapes, and the Tim Holtz tissue tapes we see in use now. Love it wrapped around a toothpick, then trimmed as a tiny pennant flag!

Handmade flowers

Scrapbookers have been making their own flowers as long as there have been scrapbookers, so this is certainly nothing new. The flowers do, however, evolve and change, just as our styles and tastes change. People are now using everything but the kitchen sink as their material, and when paired with things such as Glubers glue dots, decorative edged punches and dies, and mist sprays, the results are fabulous! Everything from 3-D to flat, felt to old newspaper, anyone can make their own flowers! (felt flower tutorial by the fabulous Danielle Flanders here.)

Sprays, mists

I seem to recall that sprays started out as thinned-out paints and glittery refills poured into spray bottles. If you goofed and dripped onto your page, you quickly wiped it off so it didn't ruin everything! Now people are purposely dripping their sprays onto the page for effect. (Like this layout from yesterday'a post!) Sprays come in every color of the rainbow, and are released with each new paper collection so they match perfectly. Misting pages or elements is commonplace, as is the use of stencils that leave behind patterns after misting.

 

Stop back for Part 3, when I'll cover 5 more current scrapbooking trends.



Oh - and I fixed all the links in the previous post; sorry 'bout that. I've got it all figured out now. At least until they change things on me again... :-)

Chipboard Mini Albums: What's "In" right Now? Part 1

Chipboard mini albums and scrapbooking in general have changed over the years. Trends come and go, paper collections only last for the season they're released in, and the tools we use just get better and better.

We can all look back at scrapbooks and pages we made years ago and think about how "primitive" they look compared to today's styles. I know I can! Not only has everything above changed, but my personal style and taste have as well.

So, I thought I'd do a post on what's "in" right now in the world of scrapbooking and chipboard mini albums.  How many of these have you found yourself wanting or using lately?

Woodgrain

Have you noticed all the woodgrain papers and pieces out there at the moment? I for one love them! A woodgrain background lends interest, yet at the same time doesn't distract from the focal point. It can be masculine, vintage, formal, informal, and even feminine, given some pink or floral embellishments like Amy Heller used in this photo. Love the woodgrain hearts!

Flags, banners, pennants

While they've already been around for a few years, banners are still going strong. However, their cousin, the tiny "toothpick" flag has recently joined the party. Everywhere you look (even in some of my kits!) you'll find tiny flags on little sticks, about the size of a cupcake pick. This one you can easily make for yourself. 

Chevrons

A chevron is just as the old Chevron gasoline logo portrayed: a continuous line of v's. They had something to do with royalty way back when, but that's all I know without researching it a bit more. They are popping up all over. I must admit I was not a fan initially, but they are starting to win me over. Especially when they're paired with the next trend...
(Layout by Amy Heller here.)

Metal flair buttons

I'm in love with flair buttons. There; I said it. Remember those old metal pin buttons you used to see when you were a kid? Well, maybe only if you're my age. Now they're back, but without the pin. Some companies like October Afternoon have been including them in their collections, made with matching papers and elements from their line. I'll let you in on a little secret: I get mine at {a flair for buttons} . Shelley Haganman makes the cutest and most colorful ones out there! I just want to hug that blue heart with the swiss dots!

Doilies

Doilies are everywhere, and today there's no shortage of ways to make your own! You can stamp them, die-cut them, punch them, and even print out digital doilies and cut them out. Or you can just take the easy way out and buy your own! Nowadays, the trend seems to be featuring just part of the doily instead of using the entire thing. This beautiful layout features real doily halves. Pretty!
(Layout by Piradee Talvanna here.)

Tune in for my next post on current trends in scrapbooking. Part 2 will feature five more trends to get you crafting!

If you'd like to know more about any of the photos featured above, simply click on the photo for the link to the featured shop/blog. And don't forget to apply these trends to your chipboard mini albums!